Love Before Her Time
by maggalina
Summary: What happens when something goes wrong with the time turner in 1993? Could Professor McGonagall find in the past what she could never find in the present?


"Now, Miss Granger, I don't think I need to remind you about how important and dangerous this is. You are a responsible student so the ministry is allowing this, but one infraction and you will have to find a new way to take the classes you want."

"Yes, Professor, I'll only use it for my classes and I won't let anyone know I have it."

Hermione reached for the Time Turner and as she went to slip her fingers around the golden chain she could have sworn time slowed down. She didn't know if it was the magic of the time turner or just a sixth sense that something very bad was about to happen but time was not passing in a normal fashion. She felt the cool metal of the chain only briefly as it slipped through her fingers. Then all at once time seemed to be moving too fast. Things started to disappear out of the room, books and spinning magical things. While the rest of the world was moving too fast Hermione seemed to be frozen, she didn't know what was happening. All of a sudden a magical barrier was up. It separated Hermione from the rest of the room. She saw Professor McGonagall holding her wand on the other side; she was trying as hard as she could to keep the barrier up separating Hermione from the devastation happening on the other side. This meant she could not do anything to protect herself. She was leaving herself vulnerable so Hermione could be safe.

Seeing her professor like that caused Hermione to snap out of her shock, she ran from the office looking for someone who could help, she ran past Filch who as a Squib could be of no use she didn't think that his knowledge of the castle would have any benefit. Finally, she bumped into Professor Snape.

"Professor Snape! Help! Please! Professor McGonagall, she was giving me a time turner! But then I let it drop and now chaos is happening in her office! She put up a shield so I would be safe but she is trapped! You have to help her!" Hermione was practically in tears, she couldn't bear the thought that Professor McGonagall might die because of her.

Snape barely stopped to finish listening to the girl. He rushed off to the Deputy Headmistress' office his robes billowing behind him. What he found there was none of the chaos Hermione had spoken of; instead the scene before him was much worse. The office was empty save for a small golden device in the middle of the room.

Professor McGonagall was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Professor McGonagall opened her eyes to see sunlight streaming in from a hole in the wall and all the possessions from her office surrounding her in various states of disarray in the half destroyed tower. Minerva thought about everything that had just occurred and tried to piece together what on earth could have happened. Time Turners cannot change your location and they cannot take someone into the future. That would mean she is in the tower that would become her office at some point in the future. She tried to think of any time when the tower had been attacked in all of Hogwarts history and she could not recall a single time. Then she realized that the only things in the tower belonged to her. Perhaps the tower was not destroyed but still being built.

That would mean that this was during the Founding of Hogwarts. She could bump into one of The Four. She could meet and speak with one of the four founders of Hogwarts itself!

She was also trapped. Even if it wasn't centuries before the thought of time travel, nothing could bring her forward in time. She would have to make a new life for herself here. That would mean getting rid of all her old belongings as they would not fit into this era. She vanished some objects-like her broken Sneakoscope-but she also transfigured some of her belongings and clothing into more appropriate items for the time period.

She turned her chair into a carpet bag with an undetectable extension charm on it and put all her books into a hidden compartment. It wouldn't do to have someone from whatever year this is to find not only books from 1993 but _published_ books!

She felt ridiculous in these clothes and the veil on her head was completely out of place but she knew it was the law of the time. She picked up her bag and gave the room a final glance over to make sure she did not miss anything that could cause a temporal disaster. Just as she was turning to walk out and try to find her way out of the unfinished castle she bumped into someone.

"Good morrow, my lady. If thou could excuse my inquisition, pray tell me what art thou doing in this unfinished wing of Hogwarts castle?" The man who spoke was older, looking to be in his mid-fifties or so. He had dark brown hair streaked with gray that was almost silver. He was in complete defiance with the law of the time sporting a full beard, the same colour as the hair atop his head. He had a soft face, gentle with age. His green eyes twinkled in a way she never thought she would see again. The corner of his lips rose in a small grin as he opened his mouth to speak again.

"My lady?"

"Oh, I apologise sir! I was looking for one of the founders of this school. I believe myself to very good at Transfiguration and was hoping to inquire about a teaching position."

"What is this funny tongue in which you speak? Thy voice sounds of the barbarians though you dress as a good Christian lady." Minerva cursed herself internally; of course she would not speak normally. The English she spoke would not become common for centuries. Fitting in here would be harder than she thought. She was a bright witch and yet she had no way to recover herself.

"Excuse my...previous language, um My Lord, I am here to inquire about a teaching position in the Art of Transfiguration. I arrived at the castle doors and as I went to knock on the doors I felt myself transported to this tower."

"That would be the fair Ravenclaw enchanting this castle. I presume she was in the process of completing the enchantments around this very tower when you arrived."

That would explain why the Time Turner selected this moment in time, it was the first time a magical signature had been at this location.

"As to the teaching position, as I am one of the founders, as you say, then I believe I am in a position to judge if thy skills are worthy to help mould the minds of the bravest of the wizarding kind."

"I...uh...thank you for the opportunity, my lord." It was then she realized that the man before her was Godric Gryffindor. He was older then she has always thought; he looked to be her age. Everyone always believed that Godric was a young, fierce, auburn haired, sword carrying man. But here is this gentle older man who, while she knew could defeat Dumbledore himself in a duel, didn't look like he could hurt a fly.

"I will accompany thee to thy quarters then, as the castle is incomplete we are staying in the one completed tower together. You shall be staying with Rowena, Helga, and another new teacher- I believe she is a descendant of _the_ Cassandra as well as Rowena's young daughter. I shall be staying with Salazar and Hankerton Humble our new caretaker. You have no need to worry about any of us bothering you as Rowena hath enchanted thy staircase to prevent any gentlemen from entering."

"Thank you again, my lord."

"I beseech that thou would excuse me, my lady. I have only now realized my mistake. I have not introduced myself to thee nor have I asked you for an introduction of thyself. My name fair lady is Godric Gryffindor. Might I have the pleasure of knowing what name graces the lady before myself?"

"My name is Minerva McGonagall, my Lord Gryffindor." The more Godric spoke the more comfortable Minerva found herself with the language.

"There is no need to continue formalities when I behaved with such lack of grace, please Lady McGonagall, address me by my given name, Godric."

"Only if you call me by mine own, My Lord."

"As you wish, Minerva. So named for the goddess of wisdom and gifted by the goddess of beauty."

"Godric! You forget thyself. I beseech thee to tell me what this Minerva is doing here and why she causes you to forget thyself in such a disgraceful manner."

"My greatest apologies, my dear Rowena. The lady you see before thyself is Minerva McGonagall, and it is her wish to teach the art of transfiguration. I shall be testing her skills come the morrow.

"It is my pleasure to meet you, Lady Ravenclaw." Minerva gave a light curtsy as she studied the woman before her. This was the first woman she had seen since entering this time and she was pleased to see that her choice of wardrobe seemed to match the clothing of the day. The only difference was Rowena had her long dark hair pinned in the severe style that was familiar to Minerva and was not covered.

"She speaks as a Celtic barbarian and she wears a Christian veil, have you even seen her perform magic?"

"Rowena, let the gentle lady rest for the night," he turned to her and whispered in her ear, "moreover, I know you can feel how strong her magical signature is."

Minerva, while confused about that whisper would not let a challenge go unanswered. "Lady Ravenclaw, I would be honoured to meet your challenge as to my skill. I wore this veil because I did not wish to offend you as I did not know how you felt about the article. As I see you reject the current law I no longer have a need for it." Minerva removed the veil from her head set her wand to it and non-verbally cast incendio. "I apologize for my accent but I do hope that I addressed the rest of your concerns. I shall be retiring now. I pray that if any more worries are held to my magical abilities they can be addressed in the morrow."

Minerva stalked about the stairs to what she would later know as the Gryffindor girls dorms. She left a stunned Rowena and a grinning Godric down in the future Gryffindor common room.

"I see why you are smitten with the woman now, Godric. I never would have thought I would be graced with the presence of yourself in feminine form and yet there she is. Everything you wish to look for in your students is embodied in that woman. I suggest you begin courting her immediately as it would be unseemly for you to court someone in your employment. " Rowena's features softened as she saw her friend become completely besotted with a woman he had hardly begun to know.

The next day Minerva descended the stairs to find Godric waiting for her at the foot. She was too concerned as to why Godric was there to notice how his eyes lit up the moment she came into view.

"Godric, why are you here so early? Do you wish to have me demonstrate my skills in transfiguration already?"

"No, I am afraid there is something which has the potential to interfere with your position here, and I believe it should be discussed before we proceed.  
Would you care to accompany me to the balcony so we may converse in peace?"

"Of course, Godric."

The couple made their way towards the balcony, Godric held open the door for Minerva as she stepped outside.

"My first question, and I do apologise if you deem it inappropriate; Minerva, are you wed?"

"No...is everything alright, Godric?"

"Yes, yes it is, Minerva. In fact things are looking to be much better now."

"Was that your only concern? Are we to move on and see if I am at an acceptable proficiency to teach here?"

"Not as of yet; I have one additional concern. As I am sure you know, it is completely unacceptable to court a persons under ones employment. Therefore,  
prior to proceeding, I must confess:I view you as all in myself; all I want to find in my students; I was besotted from the very moment I laid my eyes upon you. You are the epitome of all I love and cherish and wish – if thou art willing to court you, and have every intention of taking you as my  
bride."

Minerva was shocked. She knew she could never go back to her old life and there was no point thinking about it but she had just met Godric. She remembered what time period she was in and realized that this was how things used to be done. She looked into her heart and found her inner Gryffindor. It screamed yes. She had never found love in her time and she could see that she was already falling in love with the man. She never thought she would be the silly little girl who fell in love at first sight but maybe it just had to be the right first sight. It had to be Godric.

She looked at the man she now knew she was in love with and he looked terrified. Seeing that look on his face made her realize how real this was, her lack of answer was enough to bring fear into the great Gryffindor himself.

"Yes. Yes. Yes. I will Godric. We shall court, and when the time comes I _will_ agree to marry you."

He brought her into his arms and wrapped her in his embrace. This might not have been Minerva's time but she had found love and she was happy.


End file.
